Jon Johnson File Photo/Gila Herald: A GCSO deputy rescued a motorist stranded in the mountains northeast of Eden and pulled his stuck Chevy Avalanche free.
By Jon Johnson
GRAHAM COUNTY – A Graham County Sheriff’s Office deputy rescued a motorist who was stranded in the mountains northeast of Eden on Saturday after the motorist got his Chevrolet Avalanche stuck.
The deputy was dispatched to the area off Black Point Road at about 8:15 p.m. and it took about two hours to locate the motorist.
Upon contact, the deputy had driven from the opposite direction and noticed he wasn’t able to hook his two straps to the front of the Chevy. At that point, the deputy also realized he would not be able to travel in reverse up the hill due to the condition of the rough road.
The deputy then cleared the side of the hill of large rocks and attempted to drive around the Chevy. However, the deputy’s patrol vehicle slid on the loose dirt, which caused his truck to strike the Chevy and created minor damage to both vehicles.
After the driver advised he would like the deputy to continue to attempt to pull his truck free, the deputy attached tow straps to the Chevy’s rear tow hitch and pulled it free. The motorist then followed the deputy out of the mountains and back onto Bryce/Eden Road.
From there, the deputy followed the motorist to make sure he got home safely. An accident report was filled out by the deputy and given to a Sheriff’s Office sergeant for review.
